Biennale Son I 2e édition I 30 août - 30 novembre 2025

What Biennale Son I 2e édition I 30 août - 30 novembre 2025 does

Biennale Son is a Swiss non-profit cultural association (Association Biennale Son, registered in Argnou/Ayent, Valais) that produces a biennial festival of sound art and contemporary music connecting the Valais region with Paris. Founded in 2021, the organization is run by a small permanent team of approximately five people under the curatorship of Christophe Fellay, Jean-Paul Felley, Luc Meier, and Sylvie Zavatta. Its first edition was held from September 16 to October 29, 2023 across 17 venues in Valais; the second edition runs from August 30 to November 30, 2025 with Sion as the central hub, featuring artists such as Christian Marclay, Winter Family, Latai Taumoepeau, Christophe Burgess, and Maximilien Urfer. A third edition is announced for Autumn 2027 with Claire Le Restif (Le Crédac) as associate curator.

The festival's core product is a multi-venue, multi-format program of exhibitions, performances, concerts, film/video screenings, and symposia staged in heritage and industrial sites including the 1934 La Centrale hydroelectric plant, Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Sion, Le Manoir in Martigny, Fondation Gianadda, Fondation Opale, and the EPFL Valais Energypolis campus. The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its infrastructure consists of an Infomaniak-hosted online ticketing system, a Webflow website, a newsletter, and standard social channels. It is differentiated by access to a network of unique Alpine venues and by an artist roster spanning established international figures (Marclay, Ugo Rondinone, Carsten Nicolai, Roni Horn, John Armleder, Hanne Darboven) alongside emerging practitioners.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) ticket sales via the Pass Biennale Son and per-event ticketing through Infomaniak; (2) a 2025-launched publications and limited-edition merchandise line (vinyl LP, artist's book, print portfolio) distributed through KaPa Books & More and the biennale's own shop; and (3) institutional and private funding from the Canton du Valais, Ville de Sion, Ville de Martigny, Pro Helvetia, UBS Foundation, Fondation Gianadda, Fondation Opale, Fondation Louis Moret, EDHEA, EPFL Valais, Centre Pompidou, and Meyer Sound. Marketing is concentrated in the website, newsletter, social media, and earned media through Swiss-French press partners (Le Courrier, Le Temps, Kunstbulletin).

Name

Biennale Son I 2e édition I 30 août - 30 novembre 2025

Legal name

Association Biennale Son

Website

https://biennaleson.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sound Art Biennial / Cultural Event Services

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Museums (712110), Museums (71211)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Sound art biennial
• Contemporary art festival
• Experimental music events
• Sound art exhibitions
• Cultural biennale

Headquarters

HQ city

Argnou (Ayent)

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales (Pass Biennale Son): Pass tickets are sold at main exhibition venues and online through Infomaniak ticketing platform. Event-specific tickets are available through the online ticketing system.
2. Publications and Merchandise: Sale of publications including artist books, vinyl records (LP), and prints. Available at KaPa Books & More bookstore and the biennale's own shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Association Biennale Son organizes a biennial international sound art festival in the Valais region of Switzerland, presenting exhibitions, performances, concerts, symposia, and film/video programs across historic and industrial venues such as the former Chandoline hydroelectric plant, cathedrals, and castles. The 2nd edition runs August 30 - November 30, 2025. In parallel, it produces and sells limited-edition publications and merchandise (vinyl LPs, artist's books, print portfolios) through partner bookstore KaPa Books & More.

Product overview

Biennale Son is a sound biennial festival connecting Valais, Switzerland with Paris, presenting exhibitions, performances, concerts, and symposiums across multiple historic and cultural venues. The festival's 2nd edition runs August 30 - November 30, 2025. The event publishes limited-edition works including vinyl LPs (Christian Marclay's Conduite Forcée), artist's books (Ugo Rondinone's 1998), and portfolios (David Horvitz's Call to a Crow). Notable performances include Winter Family's Sisters! at Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Christophe Burgess's Living Tower for carillon, and Maximilien Urfer's Intelligence Superficielle exploring AI and expertise. The festival's 1st edition occurred in 2023 with 17 venues, and a 3rd edition is planned for Fall 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biennale Son Festival (2nd Edition) International biennial sound art festival connecting Valais, Switzerland with Paris through exhibitions, performances, concerts, symposia, and film/video programs held across multiple historic and industrial venues. Aimed at art lovers, collectors, cultural professionals, and the general public.
• Christian Marclay - Conduite Forcée Vinyl LP Vinyl LP recording of Christian Marclay's 2023 performance at the former Chandoline hydroelectric plant, with sound recorded through 16km of pipes from the Grande Dixence dam, mixed with Alain Renaud. Released on Biennale Son & KaPa Books label.
• Ugo Rondinone - 1998 Artist's Book Reprint of Ugo Rondinone's 1998 diary, originally created during the AIDS crisis as a fictional journal of a gay, drug-addicted artist in Zurich. Co-edited by Biennale Son and KAPA Books. Limited edition of 500 copies.
• David Horvitz - Call to a Crow Portfolio Portfolio of five silkscreen prints featuring short poems written for the 1st Biennale Son (2023), inviting readers to connect with the Alpine environment. French/English leporello format. Limited to 1000 copies. Published by Biennale Son, KaPa Books, and Edition Taube.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Canton du ValaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain institutional partner supporting the Biennale Son event. Provides funding and institutional backing for the sound art biennial.
• Ville de SioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city for the main venue locations including La Centrale and other exhibition spaces.
• Ville de MartignycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost city for venues including Cinéma Corso, Le Manoir, and other exhibition spaces in the Martigny region.
• Ferme-AsilecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain partner providing venue space (La Grange, La Grenette, Salle de concert) for exhibitions and concerts.
• Le Manoir de la Ville de MartignycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for exhibitions and performances, collaborating on specific events like Living Tower.
• Pro HelvetiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss arts council providing institutional support and funding for international programming.
• Fondation GianaddamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural foundation in Martigny, partner in the institutional network supporting the biennial.
• Fondation OpalemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary art foundation dedicated to Australian Aboriginal art, hosting Latai Taumoepeau's 'This is not a Drill' installation.
• EPFL ValaisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical university partner providing access to Energypolis campus venue.
• Centre PompidoumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor French cultural institution, partner in the cultural network supporting the biennial.
• EDHEA (École de design et Haute école d'art du Valais)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal art school partner, involved in production aspects including sound engineering for performances.
• Fondation Louis MoretminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural foundation in Martigny supporting the program.
• Le CourrierminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner - Geneva newspaper covering cultural affairs.
• Le TempsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner - Swiss French-language newspaper.
• KunstbulletinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss art magazine media partner.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sónar: Barcelona festival of advanced music, creativity, and technology. Comparable as a high-profile European festival bridging sound art, electronic music, and visual art, though larger in scale.
• MUTEK: International festival for digital arts and electronic music with editions in Montreal, Mexico City, and other cities. Comparable niche focus on sound/digital art with international artist curation.
• Ars Electronica: Annual festival in Linz combining sound, art, and technology. Highly comparable as a recurring international festival focused on sound/new media art, with comparable public-institution backing and high production value.
• Unsound: Annual sound art and music festival in Kraków/online. Closely comparable programming focus on sound as artistic medium, with international artist rosters and commissioned works.
• CTM Festival: Berlin-based annual festival for adventurous music and sound art. Directly comparable niche focus on experimental sound and contemporary music, with international artist programming and venue-based installations.

Broad incumbents

• Venice Biennale: The most established international contemporary art biennial. Comparable as a biennial exhibition model in Europe but at vastly larger scale and broader scope (visual arts rather than sound-art specific).
• Biennale de Lyon: French contemporary art biennial with international artist programming. Comparable biennial cadence and Franco-Swiss cultural sphere, though broader visual-arts focus.
• Manifesta: European nomadic biennial of contemporary art. Comparable biennial format and European focus, but broader visual-arts scope and larger institutional scale.
• documenta: Major contemporary art exhibition held in Kassel every five years. Comparable as a recurring high-profile international contemporary art event, though much larger scale and broader programming.
• Steirischer Herbst: Annual autumn festival of contemporary art in Graz, Austria. Comparable as a regional European multi-venue contemporary arts festival with international artist programming and institutional sponsorship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WinterFamily
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biennaleson
• Instagraminstagram.com/winterfamilymusic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Biennale Son I 2e édition I 30 août - 30 novembre 2025